Inside Leeds United training session and pub event as striker tells emotional Kalvin Phillips tale

It was still pleasant on the Gold Coast as Jesse Marsch and his squad were met by a lunchtime welcoming party on the sand at Kurrawa Surf Club, although the clouds were drawing in.

By the time Patrick Bamford and Joe Gelhardt sat down alongside Michael Bridges and dozens of Whites in the Broadbeach Tavern across the road, rain was gently falling.

Just a couple of hours after being pelted with questions by the fans, Bamford and Gelhardt resembled drowned rats on the sodden Cbus Stadium pitch having been pelted by torrential rain.

A few hundred supporters huddled together in the stands to catch a glimpse of Jesse Marsch's squad training for Thursday's match against Brisbane Roar. 'The worst winter on record,' laughed one from inside a poncho. Leeds, that.

The weather aside, there was little else to dampen the mood as fans got their fill of their heroes, both old and new.

Bamford's revelation that Kalvin Phillips had rocked up at Thorp Arch to give an emotional address to his team-mates when the Manchester City move went through was a highlight of the Q and A event. In the centre forward's eyes, this was something Phillips deserved, something his ability warranted and something he could only wish his pal well in.

Gelhardt having to set a new personal 2022/23 target of more assists, on the spot, at Bamford's insistence, brought the light relief. The two proved a good foil for one another, teeing each other up and singing from the same hymn sheet. If a strike partnership does not immediately present itself, an after dinner speaking duet just might.

In the stadium things were a lot more serious. Liam Cooper trained away from the main group, Leeds exercising a little caution over the skipper to avoid him getting a kick on a slightly tender tendon, but he was still made to work by first team physio Daryl Carter.

There was more separation during the session. While the majority of players engaged in a keep-ball exercise and worked play from back to front in two opposing teams, with Adam Forshaw and Archie Gray acting as floating midfielders, Marsch's assistant Cam Toshack watched over a small group for an attacking drill.

A low pass towards the byline was knocked into the six-yard area by a wide player for two or three others arriving at the near post, back post and in the middle.

The routine in itself was not unusual, but the make-up of the groups certainly was. First it was Daniel James crossing for Mateusz Klich, Marc Roca and Leo Hjelde. Then Hjelde took turns from the left side. The Norwegian left the session early to head down the tunnel, under his own steam but looking a little uncomfortable.

Darko Gyabi, Pascal Struijk and Rodrigo formed the next trio, before Crysenscio Summerville, Diego Llorente and Rasmus Kristensen had a go.

The rain wasn't making life easy, the ball sticking due to the sheer volume of water on the surface, but no quarter was asked or given in the main group's drill. Bamford and Robin Koch were all smiles as they nipped and pulled at each other before the German slid through a puddle to halt the striker. The defender, a surprise addition to the scoresheet against Blackpool last week, has by all accounts returned to pre-season in form that matches his physical condition.

When the session switched focus slightly again, Gyabi, Klich and Gray sat out at first, working instead on a pressing drill with Mark Jackson and other coaching staff, before that trio were subbed in by Marsch. Summerville, Tyler Adams and Luis Sinisterra came out.

The final whistle didn't immediately save the players from the driving rain. Football done with, the hearts and minds operation kicked in, players handing out several boxes of tour t-shirts and then sticking around to autograph them, fulfilling selfie requests until every last fan had their fill.

The level of access to players feels every bit as deliberate as the link-up play drills or the sleep-pattern work that began days before they left Thorp Arch.

Marsch told the media last week that there's a good feeling around the camp and the club want to cultivate that and ensure the fans get a real sense of it too, so how better to imbue the fanbase with positivity than by letting them in on the act.

Every single player was handed a permanent marker as he came off the pitch - armed for the charm offensive. The grins were not confined to the spectators' side of the barrier, though and no one was in a rush for the warmth of the shower.

Leeds are planning another open training session before Sunday's game against Aston Villa so by the time they jet off to Perth next week Marsch and his players will be among the Gold Coast's most photographed attractions.

Club legends Bridges and Tony Dorigo will do their bit too, with a legends event on Thursday adding nostalgia to the mix.

The main event will always be the football, though. Leeds are in town and when that happens tickets are sold in big numbers, whatever the weather.